Sen. Chris Coons: DOMA says ‘it’s OK for the government to discriminate’

At Wednesday’s landmark Senate Judiciary Committee hearing to consider new legislation that would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) said the 15-year-old law was discriminatory and urged his colleagues to support its repeal.

“Equality for all is supposed to mean, in my view, equality for all,” Coons said at the hearing. “I don’t see what business it is of our federal government to reach into Americans’ hearts and judge them for whom they love.”

“I’m tired of seeing kids grow up in a country where their government tells them discrimination is OK, and I think it is no wonder that we continue to see kids being bullied in school and see so many LGBT children take their own lives because they’ve given up hope, because, in my view, because this law simply encourages discrimination.”

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Coons is an original co-sponsor of S.598, the Respect for Marriage Act, the bill that would repeal DOMA, and is an ardent supporter of equality under the law for LGBT Americans.